Parade of Homes

THE PERSONAl TOUCH Little extras make a big difference in Hilton Homes by holli moncrieff – photos by trevor hagan >> When you're planning to build dream house, it's easy to overlook some of the small details that make a big differ- ence in a home. that's where Hilton Homes has an advantage, drawing on almost 30 years of experience in custom-home building to make sure clients get the home of their dreams — and more. "One thing we've tried to do is put a lot of effort into our floor plans. We concentrate on how people will live in the home. Our focus is on what a family needs but may not think of themselves," says owner Spencer curtis. "We really focus on how well a floor plan will work for you, and we hone in on less glamorous areas, like including a walk-in closet by the front door." Founded by curtis's father Frank in 1985, Hilton Homes has 80 different floor plans — every one of which can be customized to suit a variety of tastes and lifestyles. "new homes give you more opportunity to personalize your space," curtis says. A flexible plan may include walk-in closets in every bedroom instead of just the master suite. And busy families might ap- preciate the convenience of having a mudroom directly off the garage, with pantry shelves where they can stow grocer- ies without having to walk through to the kitchen. "We were one of the first to put in a butler's pantry, which is a massive storage space. It's little things like that which make the difference to our custom- ers," curtis says. "Our homes do all the things you need them to do, and they do them well. We have that attention to detail that people are looking for." curtis took an indirect route into the family busi- ness. He was living in toronto when his father called and asked if he'd be interested in coming home to Winnipeg to run the business. "I actually lived in toronto for 13 years. I thought working with my dad was a great opportunity. I'd developed an interesting side business on my own that was vaguely related," he says. Frank has since retired, but curtis says his father still fondly remembers his favourite part of the job. "He loved the moments where he handed people their keys," he says. "We still take the time to meet with all our custom- ers before construction starts on their home. put- ting a face on the promise makes a big difference to people." before starting Hilton Homes, his father had a back- ground in the housing industry and dreamed of going into business on his own. "New homes give you more opportunity to personalize your space" Spencer curtis – hilton homes New Kids oN The BloCK Cont'd on page 47 46 Parade of Homes Fall 2014

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